GE14 | Situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Titiwangsa is famously known for its idyllic recreational lake of the same name.

But for Srikandi Bersatu chief Rina Harun, the quest for the Titiwangsa parliamentary seat will not be a stroll in the park.

The constituency will be one of the most fiercely contested seats in the Federal Territories at the upcoming 14th general election.

The incumbent MP, Johari Abdul Ghani, narrowly won in 2013 with a 866-vote majority.

But even before Rina can think about defeating Johari, she must first win over her own party.

The 45-year-old former Puteri Umno exco member's candidacy, which is expected to be officially announced tonight in Putrajaya, had come as a surprise to many in Bersatu when the decision was made at a party meeting two weeks ago.

This is because academic and Bersatu deputy strategy chief Wan Saiful Wan Jan had been pegged as the favourite to contest the seat.

While Wan Saiful (photo) himself said he would comply with the party's decision, a supreme council member, speaking on condition of anonymity, said fielding Rina would give Johari an easy win.

"We’ve just lost the seat easily to BN. We have a better chance with Wan Saiful, but now Rina will just be an appetiser for Johari’s breakfast.

"I do hope that the central leadership will reconsider this decision, as our main goal is to win an election with a strong candidate. We must win this election," the source said.

The supreme council member also claimed there were backdoor dealings that had led to Rina's candidacy, which he said made Bersatu feel like "Umno 2.0."

An uphill task

Titiwangsa Bersatu Youth division committee member Mohd Syafiq Shabaruddin, meanwhile, told Malaysiakini he would abide by the party's decision, but feels that Rina will have it harder than Wan Saiful at the polls.

"I've met many youths aged below 40, many of them preferred Wan Saiful.

"But I accept the decision made by the leadership, and we will try our best to support her to ensure a win in Titiwangsa," Mohd Syafiq said.

Part of the challenge Rina must face in Titiwangsa is Johari's political stature.

A first-term MP, Johari's (photo) political career was fast-tracked in 2015 when Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak appointed him as deputy finance minister in a cabinet shake-up, that also saw now Bersatu president Muhyiddin Yassin axed as deputy prime minister.

A year later, Johari was promoted to second finance minister, after his predecessor Husni Hanadzlah unexpectedly resigned.

Federal Territories Bersatu women's chief Norma Ali, however, was optimistic that regardless of who her party fields, Johari can be defeated in a fair fight.

"I think we have an 80 percent chance of winning. We've been working on the ground for the past few months. As long as they don't play dirty in this election (we can win)," Norma said.

Johari’s own obstacles

Johari himself will not be without his own internal challenges.

Last month, banners were strung-up across the constituency calling on Umno to field someone else for the seat.

Johari had decried the banners as "character assassination," and blamed a certain individual within the local Umno division whom he said had aspirations to usurp him as the Titiwangsa MP candidate.

Both Johari and Rina will also have to contend with PAS, whose spoiler effect could impact both candidates.

Besides Rina's candidacy, Bersatu is also expected to announce former election commission chief Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman as its Putrajaya candidate tonight.

As for Wan Saiful, Malaysiakini understands he would be offered another parliamentary seat to contest.